This site uses cookies to store information on your computer, such as enabling login; remembering items, status or progress of an order or request; storing user selected preferences such as default centre; anonymously monitoring site volumes with Google Analytics; as well as for tracking social media or search engine adverts. This allows us to provide basic site functions, to assess performance and evaluate user behaviour, and to continually improve your online experience.

Some cookies are used for social media and search engine advertisements, which enable us to assess performance and ensure cost effective service delivery. You can accept all or refuse advertising cookies below. Our Cookie Information page provides further details on blocking cookies within your browser, or through other services, whether just for our site, or for other sites as well.

Refusing advertising cookies does NOT disable adverts, but just restricts targeted ads.AcceptRefuse

Below is a current list of sites which will use your cookie preferences. As sites, which are managed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, come online or are decommissioned, the list will update, and can be viewed any time on the Cookie Information page. Your preferences will be applied to any new site that we manage, that match the same cookie configuration as the other sites in the list when you set your preference.

What is abuse?

There are many different forms of abuse and they all result in behaviour towards a person that deliberately or intentionally cause harm.

It is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights and in the worst cases can result in death.

Victims may suffer severe neglect, injury, distress and/or depression and people without capacity, such as those people with severe dementia, are particularly vulnerable.

There is additional legal protection for such people under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 - For further information please refer to the Useful Links section.

Cases of abuse can result in criminal prosecution and action being taken by the courts.

Who are 'Adults at Risk of harm'?

The safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:

is 18 and over

has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)

is experiencing, or at risk of harm of, abuse or neglect and as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of harm of, or experience of abuse or neglect.

Who may have Care and Support Needs?

this may be a person who:

is elderly and frail due to ill health, physical disability or cognitive impairment

What is the definition of abuse?

Whilst neither the Care Act of 2015 nor its statutory guidance specifically defines abuse, it does state that professionals should not limit their view of what constitutes abuse or neglect as it can take many forms and the circumstances of the individual case should always be considered.

The Care Act statutory guidance goes on to provide a detailed definition of each of the ten types of abuse which is listed below. Further to this, the guidance highlights that incidents of abuse may be one-off or multiple, and affect one person or more. Therefore professional should look beyond single incidents or individuals to identify patterns of harm.

Why might a person be vulnerable?

There are many factors that could increase the risk of abuse. Some of these are listed below:

People dependant on others for assistance, especially with finances and personal care

Mental incapacity, communication difficulties, decreased mobility

Those without visitors

Those subjected to hate crimes

People having care in their own homes

Not knowing where to turn to for help

People might also think that the standard of care they are receiving is all they can expect.

Everyone is a potential victim of crime or abuse but the following conditions can increase that vulnerability:

a learning disability

mental health issues

a physical or sensory impairment

is frail or an older person.

Abuse of Adults at Risk does not have to be deliberate, malicious or planned. It sometimes happens when people are trying to do their best but do not know the right thing to do. Sometimes the person who causes harm does so because of frustration even in the caring context.

However, irrespective of why the abuse might happen, any abuse of a Adult at Risk is harmful. This makes it vitally important to ensure that those involved with the care and wellbeing of Adults at Risk have a clear sense of what signifies abuse and what must happen should abuse be suspected or discovered.

Types of abuse

The Care and Support Statutory Guidance issued under the Care Act 2014, The Department of Health chapter 14.16 considers the different types and patterns of abuse and neglect and the different circumstances in which they may take place. The list below is not intended to be exhaustive but an illustrative guide as to the sort of behaviour which could give rise to a safeguarding concern.

Use the links below to navigate to the required area of the website where the types of abuse are detailed:

Where does abuse occur?

Abuse can occur anywhere and is not confined to any one setting. Just because there are no records of abuse having occurred does not mean it has not happened or is happing now. It is important to remain alert for the signs at all times, for example abuse can occur: